Nirbhaya kin say no mercy

New Delhi: Nirbhaya’s father on Saturday said that senior lawyer Indira Jaising should be ashamed of herself for suggesting pardon for the four death row convicts in his daughter’s gang-rape case and said his family isn’t as large-hearted as Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who had forgiven the assassins of her husband Rajiv Gandhi. The hanging is set for February 1.

He also demanded an apology from Ms Jaising, who is known for her stand against capital punishment. In a tweet on Friday, Ms Jaising had said that while she fully identifies with the pain of Nirbhaya’s mother, she urges her “to follow the example of Sonia Gandhi who forgave Nalini and said she didn’t want the death penalty for her.” “We are with you but against the death penalty,” she added.

Nalini Sriharan was sentenced to death in former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination case. Her death penalty was commuted to a life term after the intervention of Mrs Gandhi, who urged for clemency on account of the fact that Nalini had a young daughter who was born in jail.

Nirbhaya’s father said this was a wrong message. “She (Indira Jaising) is a woman herself. She should be ashamed of making such comments and apologise to Nirbhaya’s mother,” he told a news agency.

“We have been fighting the case for seven years. We are common people and not politicians. Humara dil Sonia Gandhi ji jitna bada nahi hai (We are not as large-hearted as Sonia Gandhi). Such mentality is responsible for the rising number of rapes,” he said, adding that his wife also held similar views. He said that they had seen Jaising in court but never interacted with her.

“Why did she have to say something and face insult when she has nothing to do with the case,” he asked. Nirbhaya’s father said he is hopeful of justice finally being delivered.

Meanwhile, the SC will hear on January 20 a plea of a death row convict in the Nirbhaya case against a Delhi HC order dismissing his claim of being a juvenile at the time of the offence.